What to do if you lose your pet
Act fast: search the area, alert nearby shelters and clinics, post on social media and check the microchip registry. A QR tag lets whoever finds your pet see your contact details instantly.
If your pet goes missing, act fast: search the area, alert your vet, shelters and local police, and check that the microchip has your up-to-date details. A QR-code tag lets whoever finds your pet instantly access your contact details and the animal's profile, without needing a microchip reader.
Key facts
- The microchip is mandatory for dogs and only works if your details are up to date in the registry.
- A QR tag shows your contact to anyone, with no microchip reader needed.
- Alert local vets and shelters as soon as possible.
- A recent photo and a good description help spread the search.
- Keep the microchip number in your digital record so it's always to hand.
The QR that helps them get home
Who this guide is for
If you live with a dog or a cat, this guide prepares you to act calmly and effectively if one goes missing.
Families with a dog
A scare in the street, an open door or a storm is enough for your dog to escape. Knowing what to do in the first few minutes greatly increases the chances of a reunion.
People with a cat
Indoor cats that get out by accident usually hide close to home. Understanding their behaviour and keeping their identification up to date speeds up the search.
Those who want to prevent it
If it hasn't happened yet, this is the best time to check the microchip, the registry details and activate a QR tag that anyone can read.
Common situations
It escapes during a walk
The collar comes loose or the dog gets startled by a noise and runs off. Whoever finds it needs a quick way to contact you.
It gets out through an open door
A delivery, a house move or a visitor leaves the door ajar. The animal explores outside and gets disoriented.
It bolts because of fireworks or storms
Loud noise causes panic and runaways, especially during festivals and New Year's Eve. It is one of the times with the most losses in Spain.
A stranger finds it
Many animals turn up healthy but with no way to identify the owner. A QR tag lets anyone alert you instantly from their phone.
Why have identification ready
Immediate contact
Whoever finds your pet scans the QR on the tag with any phone and accesses your public profile to alert you, without going through a vet or the police.
Details always up to date
If you change your phone number there is no need to engrave a new tag: you update the detail in the digital record and the public profile reflects it instantly.
Visible and legal identification at once
The microchip is the legal and mandatory identification, but it cannot be seen. The QR tag provides the visible, immediate part that complements the chip.
Without exposing your privacy
You decide what information the public profile shows. You can offer a contact channel without publishing your address or sensitive data.
Full history to hand
The digital record brings together vaccinations, treatments and notes. If it turns up in another city, whoever attends to it has useful context instantly.
Free and quick to activate
Creating the public profile and generating the QR costs nothing and takes a few minutes, so you are covered before anything happens.
Real reunion stories
Reunited within an hour
A dog escapes in a park. A passer-by reads the QR on the tag, accesses the public profile and calls directly. The family gets it back the same afternoon.
It turns up in another neighbourhood
A cat gets out through a window and a neighbour several streets away picks it up. With the QR scanned, the alert arrives in minutes and avoids a trip to the pound.
Away from its home city
A pet gets lost during a trip, far from its usual vet. The digital record and the QR make it possible to identify it even though no one in the area knows it.
What to do step by step
1. Act fast and search nearby
The first few hours are key. Walk the area calling it in a calm voice, take its food or a toy, and check corners, doorways and vehicles. Cats usually stay just a few metres away, hidden.
2. Alert your network
Inform neighbours, shops and local groups, and post on social media with a recent photo. Also notify shelters, municipal pounds and nearby veterinary clinics in case it has been brought in.
3. Activate and share the QR
Make sure the digital record's public profile is active and your details are correct. Share the QR link in your alerts so whoever sees it can contact you instantly from their phone.
4. Check the microchip registry
Confirm with your vet that the microchip is registered in your name in the regional registry and with a current phone number. If it is found and the chip is read, they will be able to locate you.
Mistakes to avoid
Lost pet FAQ
Search the area calling them, alert shelters, clinics and local police, share on social media with a photo, and check your microchip details are up to date.
Yes: the microchip is read by a vet or the police, but the QR can be scanned by anyone with a phone to contact you right away.
No. The public profile only shows what you choose (photo, name, notice and contact). The medical history stays private.
No. The microchip is the legal and mandatory identification in Spain and must always be kept. The QR tag complements it: it provides the visible identification that anyone can read instantly without needing a professional scanner.
If it has a QR tag, scan it with your phone to alert the owner from the public profile. If not, you can go to a vet or the local police to read the microchip. Keep the animal safe in the meantime and avoid frightening it.
In the digital record you edit your number and the public QR profile updates instantly, without engraving a new tag. Remember to also update the phone number in the regional microchip registry through your vet.
Yes. You decide what information the profile shows. You can offer a way to be alerted by whoever finds your pet without having to publish your address or other sensitive data.
Yes. The QR works from any phone with a connection, wherever the person scanning it is. In addition, the digital record holds its basic history, useful for any vet attending to it away from home.
Creating your pet's public profile and generating the QR is free and takes a few minutes. Ideally you should activate it before any loss happens, so the visible identification is always ready.
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